1999 Buick Century problems
The 1999 Buick Century has 287 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (17%) concerns engine. After that come wipers, windshield & visibility (11%) and brakes (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 287 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Engine 17% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 20 and 5
- Injuries and deaths
- 18 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 54,000 miles 127 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 9 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 31 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 33 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 22 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 15 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 10 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 5 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Among the 127 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 54,000 miles. For engine specifically, the median reported mileage is about 53,000 miles (29 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 20 complaints mention a crash; 5 complaints mention a fire; 18 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1999 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 16 model years of the Buick Century with enough data (144 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Air bags did not deploy when car hit and sheared off a telephone pole. Car was totaled with front bumper and cross member pushed back to the engine block.
Consumer's vehicle rear ended another vehicle at 45 MPH, and none of frontal airbags deployed. The driver and the passenger were injured during the accident.
Consumer hit a pole on the drivers side of the vehicle, and the driver's side air bag did not deploy, two injuries due to accident.
As the 3rd owner of a 1999 buick century limited I did a thorough search of cars history and found no problems until today 8 9 2013 when I took it in for radiator hose change cooling system flush and oil change which later was told allthey could do was the tranny flush because of the intake manifold gasket leak which im hearing is a huge 3.1 GM engine problem. Uppon calling the former owner she informed me that at 50,000 it was replaced and again at 108,765 miles.
I never was informed of any recalls on my 1999 buick century. Now I see all the advertisements on television, in the paper, online that the car can burn up. Brakes, steering, ignition. Which was repaired for 400 dollars. My engine warning light is on constantly, and they can't find what's going on. Once, it just completely stopped.